Collapsible and re-usable carton



Jan. 28, 1964 J. H. NUTE COLLAPSIBLE AND RE-USABLE CARTON Filed March16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR th /2116.42;

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ATTORNEY Jan. 28, 1964 J. H. NUTE COLLAPSIBLE AND RE-USABLE CARTON 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1962 ATTORNEY United States Patent3,119,547 COLLAPSIBLE AND RE-USABLE CARTON Jay H. Nute, San Leandro,Calif. Filed Mar. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 180,114 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-41) Thisinvention relates to a collapsible and reusable container or shippingcarton, and is more particularly concerned with such a container orshipping carton made of corrugated board or other suitable fiber-boardmaterial.

Containers extensively used as shipping cartons, are generallyconstructed of a single piece of corrugated board cut and scored to formside and end walls having top and bottom flaps connected thereto.Containers of this type are generally shipped from the point offabrication to the point of use in the form of a flat tube made byfolding the blank of which the container is constructed, along atransversely extending score constituting the hinged connection betweenone of the side Walls and an end wall of the container, the opposite endedges of the blank being connected to one another by a tab formed on oneof the end edges and fastened by gluing, stapling, or taping the same tothe opposite end edge of the blank to constitute a socalledmanufacturers joint. At the point of use, the flat, tubular form of thecontainer is erected and assembled into box-like shape by means ofsuitable equipment designed to unfold the container from its flat,tubular form into box-like form, to fold the bottom flaps inwardly, andto connect these flaps to one another, as by means of adhesive tape,staples or other suitable fastening means. When thus erected, thecontainers may be filled with the desired contents, following which thetop flaps may be folded by suitable equipment to form the closure forthe container.

"Containers formed as above described cannot, after being erected andassembled into box-like form, he subsequently collapsed into flat formwithout removing or destroying the fastening means by which the bottomflaps are secured to each other. Hence, when once erected for use, theycannot economically be collapsed into a flat form for shipment of theempty container back to a shipper of goods for re-use of the container.

The principal object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide acollapsible carton so constructed that after being initially employedfor the shipment of goods therein, may be collapsed into substantiallyflat form for return to the same or a different shipper, for re-use, anumber of times.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible andre-usable container as aforesaid, made from a single piece or blank ofcut and scored material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container of thecharacter above-set forth, so fabricated at its point of manufacturethat it may readily be set up or erected from the flat, collapsed form,in which it is shipped to the user, to open, box-like form, withoutrequiring the use either of any tools or equipment or any fasteningdevices, and so that, likewise, it may also be re-collapsed, withouttools and without damaging the container, for return of the container toa shipper or packer, for re-use.

As illustrative of instances in which containers possessing theaforesaid characteristics are of particular advantage, there may bementioned the packing of produce in the field, such as in the case oflettuce, and the packing of eggs.

Briefly stated, the container or carton of the invention is fabricatedfrom a single piece blank of sheet material, such as corrugated board,cut and scored to provide side and end walls, closure flaps hinged tothe upper end of each of these walls, and bottom flaps hinged to thelower end thereof, these bottom flaps being so formed and scored, andthe end walls and their respective closure flaps being so scored, as topermit the end walls and their respective closure flaps to be foldedinwardly while at the same time the bottom of the container is foldedontwardly.

The invention, and the above-mentioned advantages as well as others,accruing therefrom, will be more evident from the detailed descriptionherebclow, and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, is a View, in plan, of a blank cut and scored for forming thecarton according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, in perspective, with parts broken away, showing thecarton as erected into box-like form from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view thereof in horizontal cross-section, taken along line3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view, in perspective, showing the carton partiallycollapsed; 1

FIG. 5 is a view thereof in vertical cross-section, taken along 5-5 ofFIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view thereof, in horizontal cross-section, taken along line6-6 of FIG. 4.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, the onepiece blank fromwhich the container of the invention is formed, is indicated generallyby the reference numeral 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the blank is formedalong its longitudinal mid-portion with a pair of spaced, parallelscores 12, 13, extending lengthwise of the blank from one of thetransverse edges 14 to the opposite transverse end edge 15 thereof. Theblank is also formed with scores 16, 17 and 18, parallel to one anotherand extending transversely of the blank between the longitudinal scores12, 13. One of the end edges of the blank may be formed with anoutwardly extending tab 19 whose inner end is defined by a transverselyextending score 29, parallel to the scores 16, 17, 18.

'In the blank as thus scored along the longitudinal midportion thereof,there are thus formed a pair of side wall panels 24, 26, defined by thescores 12, 13, 16, 20 and 12, 13, 17, 18, respectively; and a pair ofend wall panels 25, 27, alternating with the side wall panels 24, 2'6,and respectively defined by the scores 12, 13, 16, 17 and scores 12, 13,18 and end edge 15 of the blank.

Between the longitudinal score 12 and its adjacent longitudinal edge 28,the blank is formed with cut-outs 29 substantially in alignment withscores 16, 17 and 18, to provide flaps 30, 31 extending laterallyoutwardly from the side wall panels 24, 26, and substantiallyrectangular flaps 32, 33 extending similarly from the end wall panels25, 27. Thus, the flaps 30, 32, 31 and 33, hingedly connected to thepanels 24, 25, 26 and 27, respectively, form the top closure for thecontainer when these flaps are folded inwardly with respect to the sideand end wall of the carton erected from the blank.

Along the longitudinal margin of the blank opposite that along which theflaps 30, 31, 32 and 33 extend, the blank is formed with a spaced pairof substantially rectangular flaps 35, 36, one of these flaps beinghingedly connected to each of the side wall panels 24, 26 by thelongitudinal score 13. This longitudinal margin of the blank, inaccordance with the invention, is also formed with a spaced pair ofsubstantially triangular shaped flaps 37, 38, alternating with the flaps35, 36*, the flaps 37, 38 each being hingedly connected to one of theend wall panels 25, 27, by the portion of the longitudinal score 13extending intermediate the scores 16, 17 and the score 18 and end edge15 of the blank.

Further, in accordance with the invention, the blank is formed withtransverse scores 40, 41, substantially parallel to each other andextending, respectively, from the apices of the triangular flaps 37,38-, to the opposite longitudinal edge 28 of the blank. Diagonallyadjacent each outer corner of the flaps 35, 36, these flaps are formedwith diagonal scores 43, 44 and 45, 46, respectively, these scoresextending from each ofthe inner corners of the respective flaps 35, 36,to the longitudinal edges 43 thereof.

As will be seen, particularly from FIG. 1, each of the diagonal scores43, 44, 45 and 45 extends along a line forming one side of asubstantially isosceles triangle whose other side is formed by a sideedge-49 of one ofthe triangular-shaped flaps 37, 38.

In accordance with the invention,also, the transversely extending scores'40, 41 extend cross-sectionally into the blank fromone-surface thereof;whereas, the longitudinal scores 12, 13, transverse scores 16, 17, 18,20, as well as thediagonal scores 43, 44, 45, 46 each extendscrosssectionally into the blank from the opposite surface thereof."

In fabricating the carton from the blank 10 formed, cut and scored asabove-described, the triangular-shaped flaps 37, 38 and therectangular-shaped flaps 35, 3d are folded inwardly toward each otheralong the score line 13 until disposed in a planesubstantially at rightangles to the planes of the side walls 24, 26 and end walls 25, 27, theflaps 37, 38 being disposed preferably with the bottom surface thereofoverlying the upper surface of the flaps 35,36,as shown in FIG; 2, theflaps 37, 38 as thus dis posed being secured, as by gluing the same, tothe underlying-corner portions of the flaps 35, 36. As thus disposed, itwill be seen from the foregoing description that each side edge of eachof the flaps 37, 38 will substantially coincide with one of the diagonalscores 43, 44, 45, 46. In the carton as thus fabricated from the blank,as more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tab 19 is secured, as bymeans'of staples, to the inner surface of the adjoining end wall 27,along the vertical margin thereof adjacent the end edge 15. I I

It is an important feature and advantage of the present invention thatthe container as thus fabricated may readily becollapsed into asubstantially flat form merely by the application of rather light handpressure along the center of the edges formed at the bottom of the endwalls 25, 27 by'the score 13. The application of such pressure in thatmanner will be sufiicient to cause infolding of the end walls 25, 27 andtheir associated top flaps 32, 33 and bottom flaps 37, 38 along thetransverse scores 40, 41, and, simultaneously, outfolding of the cartonalongthe diagonal scores 43, 44, 45, 46, each bisected portion of theinfolded flaps 37, 38 carrying with it the corner portion of the flaps35, 36, overlaid thereby. FIGS. 4, and 6 depicit the appearance of thecontainer with itsend walls partially infolded and its bottom wallpartially outfolded when the container is in partially collapsed state,the closure flaps '30, 31 at the top of the side walls 24, 26, beingshown in FIGS. 4 and 5 bent outwardly and down-' wardly, for the sake ofgreater clarity.

With the container brought to its fully collapsed state at the placeWhere it is'fabricated, it may be readily shipped in that substantiallyflat form to the place of its use, .such as for the field packing ofproduce or for the packing of eggs. At the point of use, the containermay be set up.from its substantially flat, collapsed state into box-likeform, simply by applying relatively light hand pressure along the topand bottom edges of the collapsed container, whereby it snaps into anopen or box-like form. Thus, the user of the container fabricatedaccording to the invention does not need to maintain any tools orequipment or utilize any fastening devices in order to set up thecontainer from the flattened form in which it is delivered by thefabricator.

Moreover, as above-indicated, when the container has been loaded withthe desired contents to be shipped therein, the container may, afterremoval of the contents at their destination, be readily re-collapsedinto substantially flat form in the manner above-described, for returnto the same or a different user thereof. Thus, the container of theinvention may be reused a number of times, until the normal wear andtear in handling and shipment renders: further re-use for its intendedpurpose undesirable or impractical.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, the re-usablecontainer of the invention is more efiicient and less costly than typespresently in use, and eliminates the need not only for tools to bemaintained and fastening devices to be utilized for the set up of thecontainer by the user, but also, in the case of the field packing ofproduce, such as lettuce, the need for employing costly field crews forthat purpose.

Desirably, and particularly in the case of cartons to be used forthe'shipment of fresh produce or the like, ventilation openings such asindicated at 50', may be formed in the side walls and/or end walls ofthe car-ton during the fabrication.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible carton formed from a single-piece blank of sheetmaterial and comprising a pair of side walls, an end wall hinged toopposite ends of each of said side walls, a closure flap hinged to theupper end of each of said side and end walls and forming the top wall ofthe carton, a rectangular-shaped flap hinged to the lower end of each ofsaidside walls, a triangular-shaped flap hinged to the bottom flap beinginwardly scored transversely thereof,

and each of said side wall bottom flaps being outwardly scoreddiagonally adjacent the opposite ends thereof to permit iii-folding ofthe end walls and their associatedclosure flaps and bottom flaps alongsaid transverse scores and simultaneous outfolding of the carton alongsaid diagonal scores. v

2. A collapsible, re-usable shipping container formed from a one-pieceblank of fiberboard material, said container comprising:

(1) a pair of side Walls; (2) a pair of end walls; (3) a closure flaphingedly connected to the upper end of each of said side'and end walls;and (4) a bottom flap hingedly connected to the lower end of each ofsaid side and end walls; the bottom flaps of said side walls beingofsubstantiallyrectangular shape, the bottom flaps of said end walls beingof substantially triangular shape, with the apex of the triangledisposed substantially along the longitudinal median line of thecontainer, each of said end Walls and itsassociated closure flap andbottom flap being scored transversely along the median line thereof,'andeach-of said rectangular-shaped bottom flaps being scored along a lineextending diagonally from a corner of the container to said longitudinalmedian line of the container, each of .said diagonal scoressubstantially coinciding with a sideedge of one of saidtriangular-shaped flaps.

3. A one-piece blank of sheet material for forming a collapsible,re-usable car-ton, said blank being:-

(A) outwardly scored in the longitudinal mid-portion thereof along apair of spaced parallel longitudinal lines and along a plurality ofspaced parallel transverse lines to provide:

(1) a pair of spaced side wall panels and (2) a pair of spaced end wallpanels alternating with said side wall panels;

(B) formed with:

(l) a substantially rectangular fiap extending laterally outward fromeach of said side and end wall panels to one of the longitudinal edgesof the blank and hingedly connected to said side and end wall panels byone of said longitudinal scores;

(2) a substantially rectangular flap extending laterally outward fromeach of said side wall 5 panels to the other longitudinal edge of theblank and hingedly connected to said side wall panels by the other ofsaid longitudinal scores; and

(3) a substantially triangular flap extending laterally outward fromeach of said end wall panels and hingedly connected thereto by saidother longitudinal score, the apex of each of said triangular flapsbeing disposed along said other longitudinal edge of the blank; and

(C) inwardly scored:

(1) along parallel lines extending transversely of the blank from theapex of each of said triangular flaps to said first-named longitudinaledge of the blank; and

(2) diagonally adjacent each outer corner of each of said last-namedrectangular flaps along a line 'forming one side of a substantiallyisosceles triangle whose other side is formed by one side edge of theadjacent one of said triangular flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSKaufman Apr. 7, 1925 Trost Oct. 12. 194-3 Arkin Sept. 4, 1956 HardonJune 19, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 17, 1923 Italy June 4,1952

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CARTON FORMED FROM A SINGLE-PIECE BLANK OF SHEETMATERIAL AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS, AN END WALL HINGED TOOPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS, A CLOSURE FLAP HINGED TO THEUPPER END OF EACH OF SAID SIDE AND END WALLS AND FORMING THE TOP WALL OFTHE CARTON, A RECTANGULAR-SHAPED FLAP HINGED TO THE LOWER END OF EACH OFSAID SIDE WALLS, A TRIANGULAR-SHAPED FLAP HINGED TO THE LOWER END OFEACH OF SAID END WALLS AND FORMING, WITH SAID SIDE WALL BOTTOM FLAPS,THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE CARTON,